UNITED STATES - CALIFORNIA, HOMELAND OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The United States of America is one of the goals that any naturalist photographer should consider to visit sooner or later. And this for a number of reasons one better than the other. Meanwhile, they represent the homeland of the protection of nature and wildlife in the modern sense that we today are used to giving this concept. Here were the first nature parks for the work of great protectors such as Jhon Muir or even great photographers like Ansel Adams. These figures, along with many others, heightened awareness of public opinion and American institutions about the need to protect some extraordinary environments and their inhabitants, humans and animals.
And this was already in the late 1800's. From the initiative of these personalities and protectionist groups (and also by the sensitivity of illuminated politicians), the first National Natural Parks were born. Really there is also a triller on which was the first, which would be the first in the world. It is universally believed that the first National Park in the world is that of Yellowstone, located in the extreme northwestern part of Wyoming state, and defeating, for a small stretch, in the States of Montana (North) and Idaho (West), occupying a large area of ​​the Rocky Mountains. Really the first seems to have been the Yosemite Park in California that only for bureaucratic issues was recorded 4 days after Yellowstone.
However, both are unique and rare jewels with awesome environments and animals. Here we are in the homeland of Gray Wolf, Grizzly, Bison, and Moose just to name a few. And then the White Head Eagle, the symbol of the United States, the Griffon, the Vultures, and so on. United States wildlife is as diverse as its environments. Suffice it to think that in the area of ​​2000 km it passes from glaciers to a unique seaside environment, to 6000 meters mountains, to massive deserts and tropical habitats.

And the summary of all of this is the California I visited in 2011. I've traveled it all in its length from the Los Angeles area, where I could see the Mohave desert, along the one that is defined as the most beautiful coast in the world: the Big Sur coast. Here you will encounter an exceptional fauna and bird life from small rodents such as land and and arboric squirrels, to giants such as marine elephants, Peregrin falcon and otters, to reach an avifauna that includes pelicans, vultures, condors of California and so much more. So I went up to San Francisco and from there I visited Yosemite Park and Sequoia Park on the west side of Sierra Nevada a smaller chain (it is said) parallel to the West of the Rocky Mountains. From here I crossed the Sierra Nevada from West to East along the Tioga Pass at 3,000 meters of altitude and I rediscovered on the opposite side ending up in an absolutely magical place that is the Mono Lake with its spectacular tufa structures that someone says to be warriors Peyote for which it was sacred place. I do not know whether these stories are true or not, but I assure you that being there in the middle of the night alone with these giants around me has given me really special impressions.
Here, however, I made a mistake that I still reproach today, that is, I have re-crossed the Sierra and I went back to the western end in Los Angeles rather than returning to the eastern side where I would go through deserts and very particular environments.

Anyway, it's a memory of places and wildlife that I'll always carry with me and I'll repeat it shortly to complete the missing parts.

Absolutely an experience to do.

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